101 Strings

Since its launch in 1957, the 101 Strings Orchestra has stood among the most consistent and productive acts in instrumental easy listening, amassing hundreds of releases over the decades. Its signature approach rests on a deep respect for melody, immaculate studio craft, and an inviting, tranquil atmosphere; although select projects spotlighted brass, piano, guitars, or gentle rock & roll grooves, the string section—true to the ensemble’s title—always occupied the foreground thanks to its rich, calming tonal character. Nearly every recording was organized around a single thematic thread, whether spotlighting a celebrated composer’s catalog, marking occasions such as national holidays or patriotic celebrations, interpreting television and film scores, surveying music from a chosen nation, or reworking pop standards in fresh guises.

Producer and engineer Dick L. Miller established the orchestra as an economical alternative to the high fees commanded by prominent conductors such as Mantovani. By engaging lesser-known European ensembles at reduced rates, he created a reliable brand whose arrangements, rather than any fixed roster of players, defined its identity; musicians could therefore be swapped provided they adhered to the prescribed style. The group’s earliest outlet was Miller’s Somerset imprint, where Robert Lowden served as the initial arranger before Joseph Kuhn and Monte Kelly assumed those duties, each contributing occasional original compositions.

In 1964 Miller transferred the entire 101 Strings operation to Alshire, which maintained a steady release schedule for many years afterward. During the orchestra’s first ten years it occasionally issued more adventurous sets, yet this practice ceased following the public’s cool reception of the 1968 album Astro Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000, whose futuristic and occasionally disquieting sound later attracted collectors of space-age pop. Madacy Entertainment acquired the Alshire catalog in 1995 and has since reissued extensive portions of the 101 Strings library on compact disc while also commissioning fresh recordings.